OK, so you know where the shutter button is and you can figure out zoom easily enough, but do you really understand how to use your camera underwater for all its worth?
Digital cameras and their accessories can be complex enough on their own. Try adding all the bells and whistles of super underwater digital camera housing equipment and you'll find that a mini-course in underwater digital camera housing could work wonders for your photography needs.
For best results with underwater photography, potential photographers should read up on underwater digital photography, tips on shooting underwater subjects, and they should definitely become familiar with all the parts of their underwater digital camera's housing.
Arms:Used primarily for strobe and video light, the arms allow flexibility and versatility when it comes to getting great shots underwater. The arms allow divers to effortlessly move the strobes and lights into position, merely by loosening and tightening clamps.
Body: This is the main, watertight compartment where your camera is protected as you dive underneath the water. Typically made of transparent polycarbonate, the body is pretty much the meat and potatoes of an underwater digital camera housing.
Dome port: Initially designed to correct water's refractive properties, dome ports involve a protective, transparent semi-sphere of consistent thickness around the digital camera's lens. Dome ports are especially useful in preserving the image geometry and angle of view, particularly for wide-angle lenses. In many cases, dome ports are preferable to flat ports.
Flat port: Another type of underwater camera port, flat ports protect the camera's lens, but do not maintain the integrity of the shot. Some deviations that may occur when using a flat port include refraction, radial distortion and chromatic aberration. Focal lengths longer than 28mm require flat ports. Flat ports are especially useful for macro photography and shots requiring a long zoom lens.
Housing: The housing is the unassailable waterproof covering that allows a photographer to take his or her camera underwater. Housings make use of waterproof seals, ensuring that the electronic device is safely and securely protected beneath the water's surface.
O-ring: Ingeniously designed to become more and more effective as more pressure is added, the O-ring is part of a sealing system for underwater camera housings. The rubber O-ring fits into a groove snugly and securely so that water cannot leak through and damage the camera. Keep your underwater digital camera housing in tip-top condition and free from leaks by preventing any bits of dirt from getting into the grooves where the O-rings sit. (If dirt does get into the groove by the O-ring, it may cause a tiny break in the seal that allows water to sneak through.
Port: A port is a transparent viewing area or window found in an underwater camera housing. Dome ports and flat ports are two kinds.
Rebikoff port/ Rebikoff corrector: Clever and useful, a Rebikoff port or Rebikoff corrector rights refraction caused underneath the water, at the boundary between air and water. This special type of lens actually sports a flat surface on the water side and a concave surface on the inside of the camera housing.
Tray: To aid in attaching a supporting arm for flash, strobe or other lighting units, the tray is also known as a "saddle," a "stay," a "rail" or a "bracket." Typically made of plastic or metal, the tray provides support and stability to the underwater housing.